By: Sharlyne Eri – EMTV News, Lae
Registrar of the Incorporated Land Groups, Iruna Rogakila is urging landowners to refrain from joining associations. He says, there are a lot of fake associations emerging and fooling landowners to join. The registrar added, that only an ILG certificate would give landowners the right to royalties.
His comments come after landowners of the Wafi Golpu project raised uncertainty in accruing an ILG certificate. According to Rogakila, landowners are being brainwashed into joining associations and disregard the idea of ILG’s.
“There are people advising them to join associations. There are most instances where landowners do not benefit because proper identifications are not being done,” Mr. Rogakila said.
Despite his remarks, Wafi Golpu landowners say existing clans have worked well under an association, over the years, and want to remain that way.
Kailes Geo, a Hengabu landowner, says trying to get an ILG certificate might cause disputes and delay the development of the Wafi Golpu Project.
“There are three clans under Hengabu, which is within the Special Mining Lease (SML) 10 area and we operate under an association,” Goe said, “We’ve worked well and solved disputes over the years.”
However, Mr. Rogakila explained that ordinary landowners would not have much input in associations this is because resource developers would only deal with executives.
